Page 40 of The Ghost

I saw fireworks as he entered my core. I tingled all over, caressed by the shower and by the man, both inside and out. Our chests were crushed together, our skin slick and steamy. I nibbled on his lip tenderly, afraid to kiss him too much and risk losing my breath altogether.

He shifted his grip, planting his palms against my thighs. That allowed him to surge deeper, cutting me off at the pass. I felt his cock pierce my spine, his hard-on nailing me to the wall.

I held on for dear life, my tailbone banging against the tile with every thrust. He rubbed me so raw, making me soar to new heights even though we were underground. I felt the love within me well up until it threatened to overwhelm me. This was all I wanted out of life, to be with Theo and make sweet, passionate love all day.

When I came, it was like a flower bud opening, gentle and beautiful even though our sex was rough and gritty. I clung to him like an octopus, my soul grasping for what he had to give. He pummeled into me for the last few seconds before letting himself go. Crushing me to the wall, he pumped his essence into my core, filling me with thousands of tiny swimmers who began their uphill battle to create a new life.

After a moment, I could feel his muscles relax. He lowered me to the ground gently, putting a hand above my shoulder. His cock slipped out, leaving me warm and wet all over. I clung to him in the aftermath, my blood thrumming with the memory of his presence.

We swam around each other in the shower, sharing the soap to wash off our privates. Then Theo turned the water off, and we got out. The towels were small and rough, designed for efficiency rather than comfort.

I climbed back into my clothes, knowing that the day wasn’t even halfway over. We still had work to do, and there was no time for cuddling. But even as our time together came to an end, I felt a connection to him that seemed greater than before.

I kissed him sweetly before letting him get dressed. If only we could stop time and give ourselves a break before going into battle, I could make every second count. But New Dawn wasn’t going to wait.

Theo had brought back important information that we needed to act on if we were going to save the world. It was now or never, and there was no time like the present. I was just pulling my shirt down over my chest when the alarm bells split the air.

Chapter 18

Clark

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GLANCING AT THEO, I hauled my butt into gear. We burst out into the bedroom and grabbed our weapons. Hiking our boots on, we dashed out into the hall. People were running from right to left, headed for the elevator and the upper floors.

I couldn’t tell what was happening. Was it a fire alarm, or had something else happened? Maybe New Dawn had let loose one of its nuclear weapons. But how could that be? I was under the impression that they needed the digital key that had just been removed from my shoulder to activate the bombs. Hopefully, this was just a drill, and we could clear it up with a quick trip to the command center.

But as we ran down the hall, an announcement came over the PA system.

“This is not a drill,” the computerized voice said. “Hostile forces have infiltrated the base.”

I turned a corner and immediately heard a bullet whiz by my head. Ducking back under cover, I pulled out my piece. Theo hurried up behind me, and I put out a hand to stop him. He complied easily, hugging the wall to my right.

We were boxed in. I had never followed the hallway past our quarters, but it was looking like that was the only escape. The elevators lay beyond the enemy, and we couldn’t reach them without knowing what we were dealing with.

Another few shots dug themselves into the wall opposite us. I waved my gun back the way we’d come. Theo didn’t wait for an invitation but followed my directions, jogging backward so that he could keep his eyes trained on the advancing horde.

I leaned out from under cover and fired a few shots. I couldn’t aim properly because I didn’t have any armor. I wasn’t going to open myself up to injury by stepping into the line of fire, but I wanted our enemies to know we were armed.

In response to my volley, another dozen shots rang out. That gave me some good intel. We weren’t dealing with a spray-and-pray situation. Whoever was firing on us was using targeted strikes with a semi-automatic. That meant they were well trained, not mere thugs or hired hands.

I hurried back the way Theo was going, providing cover as he hightailed it down the hall. We passed our bunk and took a left. There was nothing but crew quarters and dozens of tiny rooms with no exits. We couldn’t duck into any of those if we wanted to survive.

I fired into the distance as we ran, making sure anyone who was pursuing us knew not to get too close. By the time I ducked past the next corner, I narrowly missed getting hit in the back. They were closing in, and we didn’t even know who they were.

“What’s going on?” another Dark Sparrow operative asked, joining up with us in the hallway.

“I don’t know,” I answered. “Is there a way out this way?”

“There’s another elevator at the end of the hall,” the new girl replied.

“Let’s go,” Theo suggested, leading the way until we reached the second elevator shaft.

I pushed the button to call the car, but before we could climb inside, gunfire shot through the air, piercing the metal doors in front of me. I ducked, swinging my gun around to return fire. There was no cover, and nothing between us and the enemy but empty air.

The woman beside us fell, her chest opening up as a bullet caught her between the ribs. Blood mushroomed into the air, nearly vaporized by the speed of the attack. She tumbled to the ground, her gun sliding away.

Behind us, the elevator doors slid open, allowing us to crowd inside. There was very little space between the door and the wall, but I flattened myself into the corner and prayed for deliverance. I could hear boots rushing toward us, and the steady punctuation of ammunition against the wall beside me.